Electric switch



March 23, 1943. A. A. BLUEMLE 2,314,684v

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Dec. 27, 1940 l A Er/"W 'IIA /l/s ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 23, 1943 ELECTRIC SWITCH Arnold A. Bluemle, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Application December 27, 1940, Serial No. 371,962

l1 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electric switches and more particularly to improvements in electric switches of the slide type.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple type of construction consisting of relatively few parts which may be cheaply made and which can be easily assembled or disassembled without the use of special tools.

Another object is to provide a retainer member of novel form.

Another object is to provide a novel cooperative arrangement of a slide push button, a retainer clip supported by the button and a switch base for anchoring the retainer member to prevent accidental replacement of the button from the base.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front plan view of electric switch embodying the invention. v

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch,

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan viewof the switch.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the switch.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the actuator.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig- '7 is a sectional view taken on the line '1 -1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a detail plan View of the retaining member.

Referring to the drawing 20 designates an escutcheon or switch base plate which may be of any suitable contour and of any suitable in sulating material, preferably a moldable plastic. This plate is provided with apertures 2l to receive screws, not shown, for securing the plate l to a supporting wall. The front face of the plate is preferably formed with a rectangular recess 22. As disclosed in Fig` 3 the plate 20 is provided with a transverse opening 23 at one end and two longitudinal openings 24 at the other end of the recess 2,2. The openings 23 and 24 communicate with the recess 22 as shown in Fig. 8. The plate 20 is also formed with apertures 25 in the bottom wail of the recess 22. These apertures are counterbored to form shoulder 26.

A pair of conducting brackets 2l are secured tothe bottom side of the plate. The conducting brackets 21 are spaced fromeach other by a cross rib 28 formed integral with the plate 20. Each bracket 21 is secured in place by a flanged tubular rivet 29 which passes through the aperture 25 in the bottom of the recess 22 and an aperture provided in one arm of the bracket. Each rivet is spun over the bracket, as shown at 3D. A Wire lead, not shown, can be connected to the other arm of the bracket. The flanged Vportion of the rivet 29 rests on the shoulder 25 and the top surface thereof is preferably flush with the bottom wall of the recess and to form a contact surface within the recess 22. The underside of the plate 2@ is also provided with depending parallel side Walls 3l which prevent the wire leads from engaging the support when the plate 20 is attached thereto.

A reciprocal sliding knob or button 32 of insulating material, preferably a molded plastic, is of such dimensions that its outer periphery when assembled with the plate 20 will conceal the recess 22 in any position of the knob. The under side of the knob is provided with a projection 33 having lateral ears 34 intermediate the ends of the projection. The ears 34 are so spaced on the projection that the main body portion of the knob 32 and the ears provide op-v positely disposed grooves 35 as clearly shown in Fig. 7. The bottom face of the projection 33 is formed with pockets 35 and a central recess 3l. The pockets 36 are connected by a shallow channel 38 to receive a main or yoke portion 39 of U-shaped bridging member 4i).

The bridging or movable contact member 40 comprises a strip of conducting material, the ends of which are bent at an angle to the main portion 39 of the contact to provide arms 4|. The arms project into the pockets 35 so as to be moved with the projection 33 in its sliding movements. This bridging member is constantly urged toward the bottom Wall of recess 22 by a compression spring 42 having one end seated in the'recess 31 and the other end bearing against the main or yoke portion 39 of the bridging member 43. The main portion 39 of the bridging member is provided with a pair of bosses 43 which are arranged to contact simultaneously the contact surfaces of the pair of tubular contacts 29 within the recess 22. f

The push button is yieldingly held in assembled relation With the base plate 23 by a metal retaining member 56. In the present instance the retaining member is of U-shaped formation made of flat resilient metal. The U-,shaped member 50 is preferably deformed at the loop end so that the loop end 5I is out of the vnormal plane of the member 50. The arms of the member 50 are deformed near their face ends, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to form yieldable V-shaped fingers 52 with the outermost leg of each finger being short as indicated in Fig. 8.

The deformed U-shaped member 50 is rst assembled with the knob or push button 32. This is accomplished by inserting the intermediate portions of the arms of the member 50 into the grooves 35 so that they will straddle the projection 33. The width of the arms is less than the width of the groove. Thus When the U- shaped member 5i] is assembled with the knob 32 the outer edges of the arms will not extend over the outer edge of ears 34 to hinder the assembly of the knob 32 and the notches to permit free sliding movement of the knob.

When it is desired to assemble the slide button 32 with the base plate 2G the looped end 5| is first flexed downwardly and inserted in the opening 23 and the loop end 5| is slipped under a shoulder 6i! provided on the bottom face of the plate 2G and adjacent the transverse opening 23. When a vertical section 53, formed by the ldeformation of the loop end of the member 50, is placed against an end wall 54 of the recess 22 the knob is pressed downwardly forcing the V-shaped ngers 52 of the member `50 through the openings 2f: causing the outermost legs or the V-shaped fingers to be pressed inwardly. When the outermost legs are through the apertures 24 they will expand by their own resiliency causing the straight ends of the arms to engage shoulders (il provided on the bottom face of the base plate as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8. Thus the loop portion 5l and the V--shaped fingers 52 act as anchoring means to hold the knob in assembled relation with the base plate 20 and prevent accidental removal of the knob from the plate.

Referring to Fig. '7 it will be noted that the side edges of the ears 3f! are relatively close to the side walls of the recess 22 so that the side wall of recess will guide the knob in Vits longitudinal movement and to maintain the arms within the grooves 35. The longitudinal movement of the knob is limited by the end walls of the recess.

It will be noted that the surface of the bottom Wall of the recess 22 is provided with depressions l which receive the bosses of the movable contact to hold the switch in its off position.

The front face of the plate is provi-ded with a depression 'il nlled with a pigment which is covered by the knob when the switch is in its open position. The depression is exposed when the knob is moved to close the switch as shown in Figs. 1 and S. While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. An electric switch comprising a plate provided with openings; a reciprocal member provided with oppositely disposed grooves on its sides slidable upon the front of the plate; a contact member mounted on the rear face of the reciprocal member and adapted to bridge static-nary contacts carried by the plate; a metal resilient member having arm portions projecting through the grooves to straddle loosely the sliding member, said resilient member having its ends respectively extending into the openings and overlying portions on the rear side of the plate, said ends being so disposed that the arm portions straddling the sliding member` will hold same in assembled relation with the plate and prevent accidental removal therefrom; and

means associated with the plate for limiting theV reciprocal movement of the sliding member in each direction. A

2. An electric switch comprising a plate provided with a recess on its front face and having openings communicating with the recess; a reciprocal sliding member having a projection depending therefrom and having a sliding t with the recess, said projection having oppositely disposed grooves on its sides; a contact member mounted on the rear side of the projection adapted to bridge stationary contacts exposed in the recess; a U-shaped resilient metal clip, the arms of which extend into grooves of the projection to straddle the projection to assist in retaining the latter in assembled relationship with the plate, the U-shaped member having its loop end and its arm ends extending, intorespective openings and overlying portions on the rear side of the plate to anchor the clip to the plate and prevent accidental removal of sliding member from the plate; and means including portions of the plate for limiting the reciprocal movement of the sliding member in each direction.

3. An electric switch comprising a plate having a recess exposed at its front face and having spaced openings communicating with the recess; a pair of terminal contacts carried by the plate and having contact surfaces exposed in the recess; a slide button having a projection provided with oppositely disposed notches extending into the recess, said recess walls guiding and limiting the sliding movement of the slide button with respect to the plate; a movable contact carried by the projection; and means for maintaining the slide button and the plate in assembled relation, said means comprising a U-shaped spring member, having the intermediate portions of the arms extending into the notches to straddle the projection and having the loop portion and the free ends of the arms projecting into respective openings and overlying underside portions of the plate.

4. An electric switch comprising in combination; a plate having a recess on its front face and having through openings communicating with the recess; a plurality of terminals carried by the plate and having contact surfaces exposed in the recess; a slide button for covering the recess in either of its positions, said button having a reduced portion slidable in the recess, said reduced portion having oppositely disposed side grooves on its side and pockets on its rear face; a bridging member and a spring in the pockets and arranged so that the spring urges the bridging member downwardly in the recess for engagement with the contact surfaces; and a removable U-shaped spring member the arms of which eX- tend into the grooves to straddle the reduced portion of the slide-button to assist in holding the slide button in assembled relation with the plate, said U-shaped member having its loop end extending into one of the openings and overlying the rear face of the plate and having the fre ends of the arm extending through other openings with the ends thereof engaging the rear face of the plate.

5. An electric switch comprising a plate of insulating material having a recess on its front face and having through openings communicating with the recess; a plurality of terminals carried by the plate each having a contact surface exposed within the recess; a slidable knob having a iiange for covering the recess in all of its positions; a projection carried by the knob and extending into the recess, said projection having oppositely disposed grooves in its side walls and having pockets in its bottom wall; a bridging conductor and a spring in said pockets arranged so that the spring urges the bridging member toward the bottom wall of the recess; and a U-shaped resilient metal clip, the intermediate portion of the arms of which are insertable in the grooves to straddle the projection said U-shaped clip having its loop portion and the free ends of the arms extending into respective openings and overlying the underside of the plate whereby accidental removal of the knob is prevented 6. An electric switch comprising a plate of insulating material with a recess exposed at its front face and having openings communicating with the recess; a pair of terminals carried by the plate having contact surfaces exposed in the recess; an operating member having a projection on its under side provided with oppositely disposed side notches slidable in the recess; a bridging member movable by and with the operating member into engagement with both contact surfaces; and means for maintaining the operating member and the plate in assembled relation, said means including a U-shaped clamping member having the loop end thereof extending into one of the openings and overlapping the under side of the plate and having the intermediate portions of the arms extending into the respective notches to straddle the projection and having the free ends of each arm bent into V-shape and projecting through openings with the end of each arm located below the underside of the plate and thereby slidably maintain the operating member in assembled relation with the plate.

'7. An electric switch comprising a plate of insulating material having a recess exposed at its front face and having spaced openings communicating with the recess; a pair of terminals carried by the plate and having contact surfaces ilush with the bottom wall of the recess; a push button having an integral projection depending from the underside thereof provided with oppositely disposed notches extending with the recess, said recess guiding and limiting the sliding movement of the push button; a movable contact carried by the projection for bridging the terminal contacts; and a Vpreformed U-shaped flat resilient clamp for retaining the button in assembled relationship with the plate, said clamp comprising arms of which the intermediate portions are inserted into thev notches to straddle the projection to hold the projection in the recess and permit sliding movement of the button, the loop of said clamp being located out of the plane of the intermediate portions of the arms and extending into one of the openings and overlap a portion of the plate and the free end of the arms being bent in V-shape and forced through respective openings with the outer arms of the V-shaped portions expanding incident to the passing of same through the openings to bear against the underside of the plate.

8. An electric switch comprising a plate provided with an opening; terminal members attached to the plate; a slide button on the front face of the plate and slidable relative thereto, said button having a reduced portion on its underside provided with a passage therethrough; a contact member carried by the button for bridging terminals when the button is moved in a certain position; and a removable resilient strip of metal having a loose i'lt in the passage, said strip having one end anchored to the plate and having the other end provided with latching means, said latching means extending through the opening to engage the underside of the plate whereby the button will be automatically held in assembled relation with the plate.

9. An electric switch comprising a plate provided with a recess having a shoulder; terminal members fixed to the plate; a slide button on the front face of the plate and slidable relative thereto, said button having an undercut passage extending therethrough adjacent its bottom side; a contact member carried by the button for bridging terminals when the button is moved in a certain position; a removable resilient strip of metal having a loose fit in the passage, said strip having one end anchored to the plate and having the other end provided with a hook portion,

said hook portion extending into the recess with the tip of the hook extending beneath the shoulder whereby the button is automatically held in assembled relation with the plate.

10. An electric switch comprising a plate provided with a recess exposed at its front face and having openings communicating with the recess; terminals fixed to the plate having contact surfaces exposed in the recess; an operating member having a flanged portion extending over` the recess in any position and having a projection on its underside guidable in the recess; a contact member carried by the projection for bridging terminals when the operating member is moved in a certain position; and a detachable resilient member passing loosely through a passage provided by the projection to permit free sliding movement of same within the recess and also for automatically holding the operating member in assembled relation with the plate, said resilient means having its ends deformed so that each end will extend through one of the openings and overlap the underside of the plate when manually forced through the openings and thereby hold the operating member in assembled relation with the plate.

1l. In combination, a plate having guide provisions and having spaced openings within the contines of the guide provisions; a slidable knob having a flange for covering the guide provisions in all positions of the knob; a projection carried by the knob and cooperating with the guide provision to control the movements of the knob relative to the plate, said projection having a passage therein; and a removable flexible member extending loosely through the passage, said flexible member having its ends deformed so that the ends will pass through respective openings when same are forced through the openings said ends engaging the underside of the plate to hold the knob in assembled relation with the plate and also preventing accidental removal of the knob therefrom.

ARNOLD A. BLUEMLE. 

